The drag-reduction benefit of having laminar flow on aircraft flight surfaces has been known for many years. Laminar flow is achieved by reducing the magnitude of disturbances and instabilities in the boundary layer. The most robust methods for controlling the disturbance amplitudes are based on modifying the boundary-layer mean flow. These modifications can reduce or suppress the growth of disturbances, assuming the initial level of the disturbances is not excessively large. One of the dominant sources of excessively-large disturbances under typical aircraft operation is insect debris or other material on the aircraft flight surface.
Any insect debris above some critical height causes the laminar air flow over the surface to become turbulent, which increases the aerodynamic drag of the aircraft and reduces fuel efficiency during flight. Typically, insect accumulation occurs at lower altitudes during takeoff, initial climb, final approach, and landing. Removing insect buildup from the aircraft flight surface between flights reduces but does not eliminate the problem because insects may accumulate during the takeoff and initial climb phases of a subsequent flight, thereby adversely affecting the aerodynamic drag of the aircraft during the duration of the flight.